The present invention relates to a continuous apparatus in distribution equipment of the type which marshals together a number of objects into a unit and surrounds this unit with a continuous paperboard sheet, the sheet being folded in and glued together along one longitudinal side of the unit.
Many manufacturing industries need to marshal or group together their products into distribution units in order to facilitate transport and to protect the products. This also applies to dairies and juice factories when they pack their products in single-use disposable packages of the type which are manufactured from a packaging laminate. The packaging laminate normally consists of a core layer of paper or paperboard to which are laminated different layers of thermoplastic, and possibly an aluminium foil (Alifoil).
The packaging material is formed in a filling machine into a continuous tube. The tube is longitudinally joint scaled and filled with the intended contents, whereafter the tube is transversely sealed and severed in the transverse seals to form individual packaging containers. After final forming, the packaging containers depart from the filling machine on a conveyor in order to be packed together in some form of distribution equipment.
The distribution equipment together with which the apparatus may be employed is particularly suited for parallelepipedic packaging containers, but also other types of packaging containers which for the greater part fill out a distribution unit may occur. The distribution equipment is of the type which marshals or groups the packaging containers arriving at the equipment and places a desired number of packaging containers, constituting the unit, on a paperboard sheet. The paperboard sheet is intended to surround the grouped packaging containers on at least four sides, and the sheet is glued together along its one longitudinal side so that the sheet holds the packaging containers together. The paperboard sheet may also partly surround the fifth and sixth sides of the unit.
This type of distribution equipment has previously been difficult to make to operate continuously. Since the filling machines are constantly being developed, with increasing output capacities, and since they thereby produce a larger number of packaging containers per hour, the demands are also increasing for making distribution equipment operate more rapidly. By making the distribution equipment continuous in operation, increased output capacity will be achieved. Nevertheless, in the type of distribution equipment described above, it must be ensured that there is a sufficient stay time for the glued paperboard side. If the stay time is insufficient, the glue will not set and there is a risk of obtaining distribution units which do not hold together, and so the packaging containers can fall out and be damaged.
Many types of distribution equipment fold together and glue the sheet with the aid of different pneumatic cylinders or the like, which results in complex and expensive distribution equipment. Such equipment requires more maintenance and the component parts are expensive and complex to replace.
One object of the present invention is to realise an apparatus in distribution equipment which permits the distribution equipment to operate continuously, which results in higher output capacity for the equipment.
A further object of the present invention is that the apparatus permit a sufficiently long stay time for the glue to set and afford reliable glue joints.
Still a further object of the present invention is that the apparatus have components which are relatively simple and economical to replace and to maintain.
These and other objects have been attained according to the present invention in that the apparatus of the type described by way of introduction has been given the characterising feature that the apparatus includes two cam curves, a first cam curve and a second cam curve, which are disposed substantially parallel, and an endless, driven chain parallel with the cam curves and on which a number of dogs or carriers are disposed and where each carrier consists of at least one inward folder and one hold-down device, and where the inward folder is disposed to follow the first cam curve and the hold-down device is disposed to follow the second cam curve.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention have further been given the characterising features as set forth in the appended subclaims.